


YEARS LATER

by General_Syndulla



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Kissing, Love, Post-Rebellion Story, Post-Star Wars: Rebels, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Reflection, Romance, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 01:15:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20826935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/General_Syndulla/pseuds/General_Syndulla
Summary: Hera and Ahsoka reflect on the years with some bittersweetness, but mostly sweetness. Their life together isn't what they thought it would ever be at all. But both have settled into it quite surprisingly comfortably.closing the door on the past, now it's disappeared with the tide. things will never be the same again.





	YEARS LATER

In a clearing of trees on a distant planet, a familiar Rebellion-era ship rested its struts and its roof faced the dwindling twilight skies. The planet was one of lush jungles and stretching grasslands, reclaiming itself after the fires of the Empire had long been stamped out. It was really incredible what a little bit of time could do to a place when it was left to its own natural devices.

The jungle spread across the vast expanse of the planet, save for a few small villages and towns that had sprang up in some of the less densely plant-populated areas, mainly in the south. Settlers and natives alike, themselves descended from settlers of centuries before, cultivated a new life here. A peaceful life, something that many in the galaxy had been beginning not to consider possible after all.

The Togruta and Twi’lek women lay close, side-by-side on the roof of the Ghost, watching the stars slowly take over the sky as the triplet suns set in the far distance. Ahsoka Tano gently shifted her hand down from Hera Syndulla’s hip, fingertips sliding down her jumpsuit to gently grip her hand. Hera couldn’t help a tiny smile to play on her lips. Even nearing the twilight years of middle age, as she was, the other woman made her feel like they were teenagers again.

She rolled onto her side and her lekku playfully twitched at her shoulders as she let her small smile spread into an especially sweet and happy one, hugging Ahsoka’s hand to her chest. “I never… Thought my life could feel this good again.” Hera blushed as she openly offered Ahsoka a piece of her heart. It was unlike her. Maybe she was getting soft with age after all.

Ahsoka never made her feel like less, and just now was no different. Hera depended on her to always be honest, but she had a way of doing it that never made Hera feel smaller, instead tended to make her feel lifted up. “No? And why shouldn’t it…?” She mirrored Hera, nestling closer and gently caressing the other woman’s soft cheek, soft and mellow green tinged with pink in the setting suns.

Hera shrugged, long dark eyelashes fluttering as she let her eyelids slip closed. Ahsoka’s touch felt so comforting. She suspected she was using a little bit of the Force to help her relax, of course. “Just… Fighting for so long. Fighting on Ryloth. Fighting on so many different planets. Independently, with the Rebellion. It kind of became the way I lived, y’know?” And of course, Ahsoka knew.

She knew entirely too well because it had been her life, too. Not from as young as Hera’s had been, but damn near.

The Togruta leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to Hera’s forehead. “I know what you mean.” Her voice was slightly husky, experienced wisdom practically dripping from it. She didn’t need to say anything else. Just needed to make Hera feel understood. And Hera indeed did. Ahsoka stretched her fingers across Hera’s face and stroked up and down Hera’s lekku, making them spasm slightly. Hera bit her lip and giggled ticklishly, squirming closer. Ahsoka’s touch was almost intoxicating to her. Just like with the way she phrased her words, all seemed so carefully chosen and arranged especially for Hera, so did her simple touches and gentle caresses.

Since the fall of the Empire, they had taken to traveling the galaxy together. Maybe they helped out here and there, where they could, their hearts too deeply set in the ways of justice and dignity for others, but they mostly minded their own and quite simply just went sightseeing. Ahsoka knew Hera still kept a blaster concealed on her at all times. And Hera knew Ahsoka slept with her lightsabers well within reach beneath the bed.

Old habits indeed died hard.

They had seen so much more than they ever had defending the galaxy from the evils of the Empire. To visit places that they had previously only seen as war-torn, their people desperate and under constant surveillance and threat, now blossoming into their own utopias. It was a sight neither of them admittedly thought they would ever see, willing to risk it all and put their very lives on the line for the sake of a bettered galaxy.

It made Hera happy to see it, and Ahsoka too. Both women eagerly looked forward to revisiting places they had helped in the distant past, to check in and see how well each community had flourished now that it was freed. This planet was already one of Ahsoka’s favorites so far, a lush and tropical place where at daytime the air felt thick with sunlight and plant life, and at night became as quiet and still as space itself.

Ahsoka happily greeted Hera’s cuddling with open arms, pressing her cheek into the top of Hera’s head, nuzzling at the base of her left lekku. “Mmm… Love you so much…” She murmured quietly into her skin. She felt Hera tremble slightly. The words still felt so new between them even after so many years. “…I love you too.” Hera’s answer wasn’t necessarily hesitant, but she still seemed to stumble when she said it. She had held her heart secret for so many years.

She didn’t have to say it, because Ahsoka knew. Hera had rarely said it with him, too. It didn’t offend her or make her feel like less. Ahsoka was just happy to have the other woman in her arms every night.

Ahsoka gently lifted Hera’s chin, blue eyes gazing into green. Hera’s gaze was unflinching, hard with experience but something soft playing at them in the waning light. Ahsoka slowly leaned closer, closing the gap between them as she softly kissed her. When their lips met, Hera’s heart skipped a beat. Ahsoka only sighed softly, loving the feeling of their lips together.

Their kisses were quiet and always started calm, but as the sparks grew between them always got more and more desperate, and they soon were kissing as though their very lives depended on it. Hera wouldn’t say it out loud, but she craved the affection from Ahsoka. And Ahsoka was willing to give her everything that she needed. Anything and everything. Ahsoka lived to see Hera happy, and Hera lived to see Ahsoka happy, too.

Hera slid her lips along Ahsoka’s, kissing the corners of her mouth and along her chin. She could feel Ahsoka smiling as she littered her striped face with kisses. Ahsoka couldn’t hold back peals of giggles as she rolled Hera over onto her back and kissed her more.

They rolled back and forth like that for what seemed like ages but must have only been a handful of minutes before settling back into their original positions. Side-by-side, with Ahsoka’s hand grasped in Hera’s. The suns had fully set now, bathing the sky above in an inky, almost black, purple color.

Ahsoka hummed. “Stars on this planet are so bright…” She murmured absentmindedly, and Hera squeezed her hand. It took her some moments to answer. Maybe she was still breathless from being kissed so sweetly.

“There’s hardly any pollution here. The settlers further south are probably the largest gathering of life on this planet.”

Ahsoka hummed with a nod. Hera was right, of course. But she hadn’t known what else to say. Her eyes traced the familiar patterns, making their own paths and weaving through the sky like little diamonds. So many memories in those patterns. The Clone Wars, her life as a Padawan, her life as an outcast and as one of the grey. It all seemed like such a long, long time ago now. Ahsoka could barely stand to believe that it was the same life.

That little girl was long gone. The woman who stood in her place was one with her own convictions, her own path. As her eyes roved through the sky, she saw where her seemingly linear path had split off, pupils tracing her many adventures. Some on her own, some with the help of allies, friends, or total strangers. She wondered where some of them were off to now. Hoped at least a few had survived to see these days.

As her eyes curved along the southwestern portion of what she could see, she saw a familiar star system. It was where she had first met Hera and her crew. Hera seemed comfortably silent as usual next to her, but Ahsoka was something of a rebel herself. She hated long silences, and so she chose to instead break the quiet. She curved her index finger toward the star system and grinned down at Hera. “There’s where we met. So far off. So long ago.” Ahsoka murmured the last few words.

Hera squinted up at her finger and grinned. “Wow, you’ve got good eyes.” She remarked simply as she rolled her hips over to straddle Ahsoka. Ahsoka’s eyes widened slightly before her face split into a grin and she folded her arms behind her head, fingers stroking around the edges of her montrals. The loose fabric of her undershirt slid tightly across her chest with the movement. Hera leaned forward and kissed her more, soft giggles erupting between the two.

Ahsoka moved her arms to gently stroke up and down Hera’s back instead, and Hera hummed softly in appreciation. Her own hands found Ahsoka’s strong arms, stroking up and down and feeling her muscles as they kissed. Her lekku wrapped around her shoulders and playfully tangled themselves around Ahsoka’s head tails.

These kisses played almost in reverse of their previous tanglings. They were hot and desperate, Hera pressing her mouth to Ahsoka’s as many times as she possibly could. Ahsoka caught her lips gently and slowed her down, pressing her own lips to hers, tongue darting out to gently slide along Hera’s sweet mouth. Hera hummed in her throat as she kissed more softly, too, letting Ahsoka lead them instead.

When they broke apart, they were as breathless as before, soft and small smiles twitching at the corners of their lips. Hera settled herself beside Ahsoka, nestling her head against Ahsoka’s chest. Ahsoka pointed out more stars as Hera’s eyelids fluttered sleepily.

Where they had fought valiantly side-by-side.

Lost friends. Family.

Where they had been victors.

Where they had beat the Empire back for the sake of others, if not simply themselves.

So many memories. Hera didn’t realize Ahsoka had thought much of the same before, but it felt like a distant life now. She had known peace so long that she began to feel almost spoiled by it. But how could one be spoiled by something so pleasant and hard-wanted.

Hera had a lot of hang-ups still about her current life, but one thing she could never regret choosing was spending her new life with Ahsoka Tano. The other woman just _got_ her. Maybe it was a Force thing. Hera felt she rarely had to explain herself, rarely had to ask for anything.

Even Chopper liked her. Now that had to mean something.

Hera had chosen well for a partner in exploring the free-range galaxy.

Hera didn’t even realize she was falling asleep, her head tucked into the soft fabric of Ahsoka’s undershirt. Their fingers tangled together in her lap, both of Hera’s hands holding Ahsoka’s tightly, Ahsoka’s other arm slung around Hera. Ahsoka could only smile gently as she quietly hummed Hera to sleep, an old Rylothian lullaby that she knew Hera held dear to her heart. Ahsoka found it was working on herself too. The shimmering stars overhead were her last sight as she slowly drifted off.

Even the galaxy in its finally peaceful state couldn’t match the peace they each felt in their hearts. Both had led such hard lives, with such tranquility hard-won. They savored and treasured it. Only one could understand the other.

Together, they and their love were an unstoppable force of its own.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! i love this ship, and wanted to write something sugary sweet for them. i seem to be in a very sweet mood for writing lately.


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